The Future that Never Was
by Moleluv
Summary: Tony Stark died... or did he? Read as he is sent back by Soul, to help make a better future - for everyone. WARNING ENDGAME SPOILERS.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, my most dear readers! READ THIS NOTE IT IS IMPORTANT!**

**I have been having a lot on my plate recently, but whilst I am at home (I fell off my horse yesterday so my Mum told me to just stay in bed because I HURT) I decided that I would post a new story!**

**Why am I posting a new story when I have like 5 partially posted ones? You might ask. Answer… BECAUSE I CAN. Also, I don't have any more chapters written for those stories. I write my stories on paper before I post them, because I am quite slow at typing and I share my mum's computer. So for my already posted stories, I have… nice doodles in the margin. For this story, I have 2 chapters, so I have a lot more to go on. I also have a lot of stories, so I will post all that I have on this story, then I will post all that I have on another story, until I have posted all that I have written (which is quite a lot). Then I will write more chapters for my stories and post them.**

**Which, unfortunately, means that some of my stories may go unposted for quite a long time (especially as I am starting Sixth Form in September and I am also going to get a job). THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT I HAVE ABANDONED MY STORIES UNLESS EXPLICITLY STATED!**

**I am looking for a particular Star Wars fanfiction, where Luke knows THINGS AND IS DIFFERENT TO CANON. He asks Vader on Bespin what his mother's name was, and Vader sends him back to the Rebellion in the X-Wing with R2. If you know the author/story title, please let me know.**

**I DO NOT OWN AVENGERS.**

**Story Of The Post – What an Addams Values by **_**stolen with the night.**_** Bilbo Baggins meets Wednesday Addams. It's a great story.**

**On another note, I definitely WON'T post anything tomorrow, because it is my Mum and Dad's 10****th**** wedding anniversary. The day after is GCSE results, so I probably won't post then either.**

**On with the story!**

* * *

**FALLING ASLEEP AND WAKING UP.**

_Snap._

The power of the Stones rushed through Tony – too much power. It overwhelmed him. Shattered his mirrored heart.

"Viral signs critical." He heard FRIDAY say.

Then he heard Pepper – his beautiful, brilliant wife, in the glorious battle-suit he had created for her.

He wanted to cup her face, wipe away her tears.

As the arc reactor in his chest flickered and went black, Tony Stark died wanting, for the first time in a long time, to _**live.**_

* * *

Blackness.

That was all there was.

And then – light.

Beautiful, orange light that reminded Tony of JARVIS' – of his son's – coding.

:: Tony Stark :: spoke a voice that was both JARVIS and not, that was a beginning and an ending. That voice was hope and despair all rolled into one.

:: Would you like to see them again? :: the voice asked. :: They would not be exactly the same, but you would. You could prepare them, this time. You wouldn't have to lose them again. ::

The voce seemed to look into his heart, to see all the regrets that he had ever felt, all the deaths that he had ever mourned.

Everything that this voice told him he could change.

"Can I even go back?" Tony asked the voice, thinking of how much he had changed.

:: Your body I cannot send back. Hat is my brother's domain. But your soul is my domain. That I can send. ::

Tony had a sneaking suspicion that he was talking to the soul stone. "When will you send me back to?"

:: The beginning. ::

:: Good luck my champion. :: Tony heard as he fell and fell, long after he should have hit the ground…

* * *

_**ROAR!**_

The sound jolted him upright, the arc reactor in his chest flickering back on… to reveal Tony surrounded by the other five original Avengers, in the middle of a semi-destroyed New York.

Instead of blurting out (like an idiot) "please tell me that nobody kissed me" he let out a sad laugh.

"So, this is the beginning, huh?"

* * *

The Avengers all walked back to the Tower, with the weight of the Mark VII heavy on Tony's shoulders – god, he's forgotten just how much he'd improved the suits until this one (which was like Cap's goddamn Beetle compared to his Mark 50's Ferrari) was quite literally dumped onto his shoulders.

When the bedraggled group arrived, a voice greeted them. "Welcome Mr. Odinson, Captain Rodgers, Ms. Romanoff – " the voice was noticeably colder when it said her name "- Mr. Barton, and of course De. Banner. Sir, I will reconnect with the suit shortly, if you would remove it once confronting the younger Mr. Odinson."

"Hey, JARVIS –" his voice almost broke into a sob, and Thor gave him a weirded-out look. He wasn't used to crying men.

"-what's Reindeer Games up to?"

He is currently attempting to move out of the new dent in the floor that Hulk 'smashed' him into."

Tony cackled with glee. He couldn't help it. Loki was actually quite the snarky little shit from the stories he had heard (Morgan had been told child-friendly stories about 'Uncle' Loki from her reclusive Uncle Thor, who she thought was 'the bestest superhero after Mommy and Daddy.') He was **so **using this in the future.

Bruce wasn't so happy with the remark. His hands began to wring together nervously, his tan face paling beneath the dust from the debris.

Hulk silently cackled along with Tony, whilst the rest of the Avengers felt slightly creeped out – they can fight an alien invasion, no problem, but a cackling billionaire… that was too much.

(Thor was the most creeped out. That laugh sounded like Loki's when he got good blackmail on someone… oh shit.)

After a moment, Tony clapped nervous Bruce on the shoulder. "First, you are a genius in physics, and now you smash Loki? You are giving me more and more reasons to keep you."

JARVIS sighed over the speakers, the _why do I put up with this man_ tone perfectly obvious. "Sir, Mr. Odinson is attempting to escape. It would be advisable for you to make your way up to the penthouse, so that he does not leave before you can detain him."

"That wouldn't be any good, J." Tony smiled, pushing back the tears that threatened, prickling his eyes at the sound of his son.

_He'salivehe'salivemysonisalive_ – he ruthlessly squashed his thoughts and asked his son "J, do the elevators still work?"

"No, sir, the arc reactor's power was used to open the portal." _So much for it running for a year._

"Well then, to the stairs." Tony gestured with a sweeping arm. "Deadly assassins first, Natashalie."

She gave him an _I will kill you _glare that made him go all warm and fuzzy inside.

* * *

Natasha stalked up the stairs, carefully keeping her breathing and face even. _Why were these stairs so long?_

Glancing behind her, she could tell that Clint thought the same.

Behind her, huffing and puffing as he dragged that ridiculous suit of armor up the stairs, was an enigma that was playing heavily on her mind – Stark.

An eccentric genius, was what SHIELD thought. Nothing special, just a playboy so oblivious that he couldn't tell that there was a leak in his company (never mind the fact that SHIELD didn't realize that it was Stane before Stark faced him).

Then they sent Natasha in as Natalie Rushman, when Tony Stark announced to the world that he was the superhero Iron Man.

And so began the problems, the budding alcoholics, and the abundance of migraine medication.

* * *

When Stark announced that he was shutting down the weapons division of SI, SHIELD believed that it was merely temporary.

When he told everybody that he was a superhero (_against explicit orders, the arrogant sod_ ) they were furious yet curious.

So they sent her in.

As she investigated – and attempted to steal plans for the Iron Man suit, to no avail – she got to peel back a layer of the public persona that Stark used.

Stark wasn't a 'billionaire genius playboy philanthropist' anymore.

Billionaire had become superhero.  
Genius had become 'smartest, ballsiest person in the world.'  
Playboy had become 'dedicated boyfriend to Pepper Potts'.  
Philanthropist had become 'the future aspiration.'

Yes, Stark had most certainly changed since Afghanistan.

But now he had changed even more, and in the period of around 20 seconds, not 3 months.

Instead of inane rambling to put people off, he was nostalgic, saddened.

He acted like he'd known the team ages, from Hulk's refusal to take the stairs alone, whilst the rest took the elevator, to Thor's need of a stand for his hammer. (a hammer with a name she was not even going to ATTEMPT to pronounce).

He even (jokingly) accommodated her need to be in the forefront of a group with Clint at her back.

Yes, there was only one thing certain about that man: Tony Stark was an enigma.

* * *

As they entered the penthouse (after finally conquering the Stairs Of Doom), Clint looked askance at Natasha. He was her best friend and battle partner, so he could tell when something was distracting her.

She shook her head minutely at him, imperceptible to anybody who was watching the pair interact._ Not now._

Then Clint eyeballed Stark as he approached a groaning Loki, who was attempting to crawl his way out of the hole that hulk 'smashed' him into. (he could totally understand Stark's hilarity now, no matter how creepy the laugh was, because it was quite a funny sight.)

Loki glanced up – had his eyes changed color? – at the Avengers, who all stood prepared to fight him. He raised his hands in surrender and said, with a sardonic laugh, "I'll have that drink now."

_What the fuck?_

"I don't have a drink for you, _Odinson_." Tony stressed the last word as he crouched before Loki. "I do have a question, though."

Curiosity flashed across Loki's eyes (which definitely HAD changed color ). "What question do you have to ask of one such as I, mortal?"

Clint focused extra-hard on Loki, He could tell that this momentous question was important.

"How long?" It took them all by surprise, especially Loki, judging by his reaction. A flicker of panic flashed in those blank green eyes, which quickly flattened out to a polite curiosity.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Granted." Stark waved his hand as though he were the Queen – he was certainly dramatic enough to be her.

"My question is this: How long did it take for the Mad Titan Thanos to break you, Loki Odinson?"

Silence fell.

_**-END OF CHAPTER-**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, my dearest, darlingest readers!**

**So, I got my exam results today (yay) and I actually did really well!**

**Ok, so this is the last chapter that I have written for this story, so what I will do is post this, and then begin to post another story. Once I have posted all the existing stories that I have, I will work on this story once again and post it. So please do not be disheartened if this story is not updated for a long time. It is not abandoned, and nobody is allowed to adopt it. It is my Precious. **

**So don't steal my story, people.**

**I DO NOT OWN THE AVENGERS.**

**Bookworm987654 – thank you for your review, it made me smile.**

**R. A Cross – I'm glad you find my stories interesting… what do you mean about his and Spidey's moments later on? I have decided to dismiss the cliché where Tony goes back in time and immediately basically adopts a load of brain children in an internship sort of thing, but if you want some irondad/spideyson moments, then I'm sure I can attempt to work in a few non-canonical fluffy flashbacks.**

**Story Of The Post – The Midnight Sky by **_**Red Sova.**_** It is a very good HP/KHR crossover, where Harry is the leader of the Vindice, Bermuda. It is a story that should definitely be read.**

**So, on with the story!**

* * *

**QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS**

Clint watched Tony with narrowed eyes.

As they were trudging up the ENDLESS FUCKING STAIRS (who cares that Loki broke the elevator? He should have made those conveyer belt things that they have in the stores so that the lazy people – who did not include him – could have just taken them instead.)

Natasha was curious, which in turn made him curious. People never spoke of the pair as separate entities – they were_ Hawkeye and Black Widow,_ their titles breathed in reverent yet fearful tones, the speaker glancing over their shoulders as though the very utterance of their titles would summon them. (He was not Bloody Fucking Mary!)

One mind both on and off the battlefield – no matter how much Clint loved Laura, she could never understand the bond he had with his battle-partner, which was part of the reason that he was happy with the fact that she was kept away from the world of espionage.

And Tony was… different.

* * *

The first time Clint Barton ever met Tony Stark, he immediately threw everything that he thought he knew on the man out of the window.

'Tony Stark' was merely a public persona, worn around everybody except for a chosen few. His masks were so tightly integrated into himself that not even the Black Widow could see past them.

Clint had seen past the Black Widow's mask, and was the one to bring her in, so the fact that he could not see what Tony Stark was concealing behind those masks was… disconcerting.

Yet upon waking from the dead – something that would shake anybody – his mask had shifted. It had shifted so much that the star spangled man with no plan (because he's thick as fuck) could see that it was there, even if he couldn't decipher what was behind it, not that the spangly sanctimonious prick would do anything to help Tony if he could. *

So when the changes in Stark had the man asking Loki a question that had the man show _fear…_ well, he was intrigued.

* * *

Because…That link between them hadn't just been one way.

Whilst Loki had been in his head, he had seen things, obviously let slip by accident.

Loki wasn't happily going along with the plans of whoever gave him the scepter, like the other brainwashed puppets had. No, he was (Or appeared to be – who knew whether or not he was faking? After the question, he was leaning towards 'not') locked in a corner of his mind, terrified, _**screaming.**_

So Clint would listen. But if Loki showed one sign of harming Stark, a man that he was tentatively beginning to call 'friend', well-

-this time that arrow to the eye socket wouldn't miss.

* * *

Tony watched as Loki attempted to deny the knowledge of Tony's words -but Tony Stark was no fool.

He was the GOD of masks and armor (slightly ironic considering that he was talking to the God Of Lies), crafting a mask for him was as easy as breathing. Even if both of those actions were slightly difficult right now. The arc reactor was shocking his diminished lung capacity, and he'd SEEN Natasha die – well, Clint had spoken of her death, that final sacrifice wiping the red from her ledger forever more (even if he still kind of hated her a little).

Anyway, even with his diminished skills, Tony caught the flicker of fear at the questions, and knew that he hunch he had been harboring for around five years (ever since Banner told him 'he sent Loki') was correct.

As his 'teammates' (he really didn't consider Widow or Cap his teammates after the Accords bullshit… even if it hadn't happened yet) burst into chatter at the question – although he thought that Clint may have had an inkling that there was something amiss, anyway, judging by future conversations that they had had… would have… goddamn this time travel bullshit was confusing.

(Thor had also been included and said a few interesting magic things about mental links that he wished a sorcerer from the Sanctum would have looked over with him.)

Anyway, time to attempt something even riskier.

* * *

Once Loki had been secured to a chair, the 'team' (the togetherness was always going to be sarcastic… there might be no 'I' in team, but there sure was hypocrisy) watching at the sidelines, Tony allowed his body language to change.

He straightened up as though pulled by an invisible sting, fingers steepled in a mock contemplative gesture that Loki's eyes widened fractionally at. His ace became fiercely fanatic, yet also cold and distant. When he spoke, his voice was akin to Loki's somewhat British accent, yet pure ice and sadism.

"Hear me and rejoice," Tony recites the hateful words etched onto his heart, and Loki stills completely, an almost imperceptible fear flickering across his face. He KNEW those words, had heard them be recited in that same cool, dispassionate tone many times, to horrifying background noises of screams- or an even more damning silence. * (Tony was an AMAZING mimic – it was good for prank calls, and he's memorized Maw's voice from the mind – meld thingy that Thor had done with him to show the utter ruthlessness of Thanos.)

"You have the pleasure of being saved by the Great Titan. With your sacrifice, the cosmic scales tip towards balance. Smile…" and here his voice gentled, albeit in a disturbingly creepy way "…for even in death, you have become Children Of Thanos."

Abruptly dropping the demeanor as though nothing had happened, Tony turned towards Loki. "So I ask you again, _Odinson_," and a deaf person would be unable to miss the emphasis that Tony placed upon the title. "How long did it take for Thanos go break you?"

There was a resounding silence.

* * *

Loki's eyes were wide – in pain and fear.

Stark had certainly changed, that much Loki was sure of.

When he had first asked his question, Loki was frightened – but only a little. How could this man – a mere _mortal_ – know of his plans?

_A mortal who knew where you would launch your attack after knowing of your existence for not even a day,_ a small voice whispered in the back of his head, a voice that he promptly ignored.

The reiteration of his question had merely cemented his fear.

Stark knew.

How did the man know?

So Loki looked, truly _looked_, at this exceptional mortal.

He had seen the pain – both physical and mental – the tenseness of his posture, the barely-concealed horror.

This man had been touched by the Mad Titan as well.

As the mortal – Tony – rearranged his posture to mimic Maw's at a 'cleansing' (his ability was almost as good as Loki's own, an Loki could shapeshift – he wondered if Stark would be interested in a future prank partner) he again felt the pain, heard his desperate screams as the whip came down, as knives flashed, as irons burnt-

-and when Tony once again asked the question, he found himself unable to NOT answer him, as the reply slipped past his lips almost without his permission, his glamour dropping as he did so.

"Almost two years."

* * *

Complete and utter uproar.

It was the only way to describe the ruckus that occurred once the implication of Loki's words sank in.

Loki had most likely been tortured into compliance by a being far older and more powerful than him. And considering that Loki was one of the best fighters on Asgard…

…well, Earth was pretty much screwed.

* * *

"Hey…guys…pay attention…" Tony tried to get them to shut up so that they could discuss their next move. He even tried to shout the 'oi, ignorant' which usually got people's attention (which I have used on teaches before… and it worked) all to no avail.

So JARVIS made an air-horn noise until they _shut the fuck up._

When they all turned around to give him rather unimpressed looks – but, hey, at least they had shut up – he finally signaled for JARVIS to shut off the noise.

"Okay, now let's get down to business. I declare this meeting… open!" Tony announced, and JARVIS obligingly made a hammer against a gavel noise.

Many of the gathered people (including Loki) rolled their eyes.

"First order of business: schwarma!" Tony exclaimed, and most of the Avengers looked as though any and every thought that they had ever entertained about his mental stability (and lack thereof) was being proven correct.

Loki merely narrowed his eyes. He could see it now. Stark was wearing a mask, which was quite well-made. He resolved to compliment the man on it later. But this mask was jovial, brittle. It was a temporary mask, which would break in private when the man was safe.

Loki had done much the same in the past. _Let nobody see that you are hurting._

He wondered why Stark, of all people, needed that mask, and he resolved to find out.

It looked like Loki had a new puzzle to occupy his time. Why did Tony Stark not trust his teammates?

* * *

"First order of business: schwarma!" Tony cried, remembering last time. It had been (would be?) really funny – Steve had actually fallen asleep in his, whilst little – or not so little – Bruce had out-eaten them all; even Thor.

"Second order of business," Tony raised a finger self-importantly, ironically reminded of Strange's shaking, scarred digit being raised in an unspoken message between the two of them – a message that had lead to his death.

"Discuss how to fight off the next alien invasion."

Pandemonium erupted.

_**-END OF CHAPTER-**_

* * *

***In this universe, Clint was sent by Fury to spy on the Rogue Avengers, whilst Natasha was supposed to spy on Tony's side. When she defected, Fury allowed Clint to go back home to Laura. He gladly accepted, because he wanted to punch Rodgers and kill Wanda. Scott was the only cool dude there, even if his head WAS a bit too far up Steve's ass for Clint's liking.**

****So, I'm going off the assumption here that Thanos at least told the rest of the Avengers about Ragnarok, WHY there was no Asgard left, (and therefore why the Asgardians couldn't just live there) and why there were so few people. I also theorize that he used magic to show those memories so that he did not have to retell the destruction of his people… I can also see Tony making prank calls. The reason why Loki recognized the tone… well, I think that they might have taken him along to a few worlds so that Loki could see the 'good' that they were doing.**


End file.
